Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — In a game that had the top spot at stake, the FEU Tamaraws went full throttle.
But to grab a share of the lead in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the Tamaraws had to outlast a pesky NU Bulldogs, 61-59, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday (October 7).
Mike Tolomia starred for the Tamaraws by scoring 19 points spiked by three triples, two of which he uncorked in a crucial stretch in the fourth quarter.
Tolomia’s back-to-back three-pointers, in fact, broke a 52-all deadlock, giving FEU the momentum to pull away in the waning minutes.
But the defending champions Bulldogs refused to fold.
Cerebral NU point guard Gelo Alolino munched a pair of free throws with half a minute left to keep the Bulldogs within striking distance, 61-59.
Still, in a rematch of last season’s finals, FEU went on to exact revenge against the streaking Bulldogs.
With the win, the Tamaraws tied UST Growling Tigers atop the heap with identical 6-1 win-loss records heading into the second round and snapped a three-game winning stretch of NU.
NU slid to 3-4.
